Latest News

Keep up to date with the latest news in support services.

May 2017

There is now less than a year to go before the UK’s Data Protection Act (DPA) is replaced by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will have huge implications for any business that stores personal data online. The new regulation will take effect on 25 May

April 2017

Although the groundwork for auto-enrolment was laid in the 2008 Pensions Act, it wasn’t officially launched until October 2012 and not all employers have started the process yet, although more than 7.5 million people have already been enrolled. The government’s plan is to turn this figure into 10

March 2017

Back in January, we urged readers to prepare for the implementation of Making Tax Digital (MTD), the Government’s attempt to digitise tax returns for all business owners and the self-employed. This was due to come into effect for large businesses from next April and for small businesses the

February 2017

From April 2017, private and voluntary sector organisations in England, Wales and Scotland with 250 or more employees will have to publish the differences between what they pay men and women in salaries and bonuses. Failure to comply with the new legislation will constitute an “unlawful act”, meaning

January 2017

Although there has been widespread criticism of the Government’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) proposals, business and political groups agree that the only way forward for taxation is for it to go online, so it looks as though, whether next year or by 2020, businesses will have to get

December 2016

When it was first announced, the apprenticeship levy came under heavy fire from organisations representing British businesses. There were plenty of arguments against its introduction. The CBI warned that the levy would impose huge costs on employers with no improvement in training given. After a period of consultation

November 2016

We have really enjoyed sponsoring Watermoo this year, seeing her evolve from a blank canvas to a bright and colourful heifer has been amazing. Watermoo's time in the public eye is coming to an end soon, she will be auctioned on the 17th November at Hampton Court Palace

October 2016

Briars Group partners with the OFX Group to offer clients great foreign exchange rates on international payments. Commencing October 2016, Briars is delighted to announce its new partnership with UKForex, (USForex and the entire OFX Group) to be the preferred choice for Briars’ clients currency

September 2016

Back in December 2015, employees nominated a charity that they wanted to see the Briars Foundation support during 2016. Two charities were picked at random from those nominated and OUCH(UK) was one of the lucky ones! This year has seen us support OUCH(UK) as part of our Charity of

July 2016

Thank you to everybody at Briars that helped move Watermoo into our office foyer today. Our lovely local artist Stacey Allan (www.staceyallanart.com) has spent the last three weeks painting and creating the lovely cow ready for her debut. Luckily she was in safe hands for her short walk to our

June 2016

A view on Brexit from CEO Kate Jolly. They say that change is one of the few certainties in life. On Friday we all woke up to a change on a scale that is unprecedented – at least in my lifetime. At Briars we have built a reputation upon both

UK Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed that payments made by banks to regulators are viewed as "a routine cost of doing business," and are therefore "generally deductible for corporation tax purposes." However, fines are not tax deductible. This ruling has consequences for all UK organisations.

Briars Group CEO Kate Jolly is no stranger to the world of entrepreneurial enterprise. As co-founder of the Company, she is an entrepreneur herself. Briars offers extensive services to entrepreneurial businesses of all sizes, across many countries. Speaking on behalf of the Guild of Entrepreneurs,

May 2016

Once again Briars employees will be taking part in the Elstead Marathon (5.5 miles) in aid of charity. This year Briars will be raising money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. If you would like to support us please visit our Just Giving page: Briars

The mid-March labour market release from the Office of National Statistics (updated on April 20th 2016) showed that unemployment in the three months to January 2016 fell by 28,000 and the unemployment rate remained steady at 5.1%. This is the lowest level for 10 years, and a rate

March 2016

The era of the stable data protection enjoyed by UK companies that has lasted for two decades is set to change. The EU will address the changes in the technological environment by condensing three drafts of the General Data Protection Regulation into one by

Co-founder and CEO of Briars Group, Kate Jolly, has been recognised for her entrepreneurial achievements by Citywealth through their Powerwomen Awards 2016 judging panel and a public vote. Receiving the Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year Bronze award at a ceremony in London, Kate pledged to continue

January 2016

Employers need to be aware and prepared for the additional UK compliance burden that now exists in relation to annual returns in respect of the above. Employers have always been required to make a return to HMRC of all shares or options either granted or awarded

HMRC has introduced tough new penalties for employers running employee share schemes that fail to file accurate or on-time returns for the UK tax year 2014/2015. Penalties include levies of up to £5,000. Head of Tax at Briars Group, said: “UK employers have always been required

November 2015

The Lichtenstein Disclosure Facility (LDF) is the best ‘deal’ that HMRC has offered in respect of its various disclosure campaigns announced in recent years. Originally extended to April 2016, the LDF closure was brought forward to December 31st 2015 in this year’s budget. In an effort

Voting is now open for the prestigious Citywealth Power Women Award 2016 and Kate Jolly, co-founder and CEO of The Briars Group, has been nominated. The awards, now in their third year, help spotlight notable female leadership and celebrate diversity while creating a platform for showcasing best

In my last article I discussed the many and varied benefits of outsourcing HR functions. For the majority of businesses, it’s not a question of whether they would benefit from outsourcing non-core functions but which they would benefit from most. Many organisations begin by ‘dipping their toes in the water

For an outsourcing project to yield maximum benefits, you’ll need to ensure that effective processes and procedures of communication between your organisation and the service provider are in place. According to Grant Thornton’s International Business Report, communication is the key to outsourcing success with 98% of UK respondents saying so.

In our post about how Deutsche Bank (7th September 2015) is to reap the benefits of outsourcing its IT services, we touched on the upcoming changes to data protection regulations that may impact outsourcing agreements. We’ve been asked by several readers to expand upon the requirements under the new laws

In 2013, an Ernst & Young survey examining outsourcing in eight major European countries concluded that the outsourcing of IT services was an underutilised area with the potential for large growth during the coming years. It also found that nearly three quarters of respondents who use outsourcing services insist on

August 2015

When working with an outsourcing partner, an organisation must have a clear and effective outsourcing strategy. This is particularly important if the outsourcing partner is based abroad. There are certain targets that an outsourcing strategy will identify and detail, and these should be understood by all involved in the outsourcing

Critical to the success of any outsourcing relationship is the contract. Yet, despite the regularity with which organisations of all types create and sign contracts with customers, many organisations that outsource some of their activities still find the contracts they agree to do not deliver what they expect. Read full

July 2015

Shortly after announcing a deal with HP to outsource its data storage, platform, and hosting requirements, Deutsche Bank has announced plans to open three innovation abs and outsource their technology needs. Germany, June 3rd 2015: Coming shortly after its announcement of a ten-year outsourcing deal with HP, Deutsche Bank has

In order to raise money for our corporate charity The Dan Eley Foundation, Briars have managed to once again put together a team for the local fun run. Elstead is a small village about 5 miles from Godalming in Surrey and every year they host the Elstead Marathon. whilst it is

June 2015

A shortened debate on the Digital Single Market Strategy (DSM) at the EU Council Meeting on June 25/ 26 2015, saw the call for rapid adoption of the Telecommunications Single Market Regulation, the Directive on Network and Information Security, and the Data Protection package. However, other objectives of the DSM

The Briars Group is the back office power behind growing entrepreneurial businesses and corporate enterprises. From People, Finance, Tax and Technology, through to full Corporate Management structures.